Strand-collecting system and tension device therefor



June 12, 1951 J. J. FRANKLIN ,556, 6

STRAND-COLLECTING SYSTEM AND TENSION DEVICE THEREFOR Filed July 30, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 12, 1951 STRAND-COLLECTING SYSTEM AND TENSION DEVICE THEREFOR John J. Franklin, Glenside, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 30, 1947, Serial No. 764,663

This invention relates to a strand-collecting system and tension devices adapted to function in such systems.

For many purposes, it is desirable to pick up a continuously moving yarn supply and collect it on a winding and/or twisting device for subsequent treatment or shipment. For example, the

of artificial filaments, such as those formed of regenerated cellulose from viscose or cuprammonium viscose, of cellulose esters, such as cellulose acetate, of resin fibers such as those of polymers or copolymers of vinyl chloride, and/ or with vinyl acetate, of nylons, of protein fibers, and the like. Since such continuously spun materials must be conveyedcontinuously by the belt, it is necessary to correlate the speed of withdrawal by a collecting device with the travel of the yarn carried by the belt. In these situations, it has in the past been difli'cult to control the speed of collecting so that it will not lag behind or get ahead of the yarn supply means.

In accordance with the present invention, an extremely simple system has been found to correlate these speeds and in generalythe system comprises the interposition of a novel tension de vice between the collecting device and the traveling yarn supply. The tension device comprises a plurality of elements disposed adjacent the path of the yarn with at least some of the elements inclined at an acute angle to the others so that the yarn follows a sinuous path as it passes around and in contact with the surfaces of the elements and the total angle of rubbing contact made byv the yarn upon the elements varies in dependence upon the position of approach of the yarn to the device. The tension device is arranged relative to the supply so that the various sinuous paths taken by the yarn therethrough extend in a direction generally transverse to that of the movement of the strand supply and such paths are oifset from one another in the direction of movement of the strand supply. proach and the particular sinuous path taken by the yarn through the device varies with the tendency of the yarn supply to lag behind or get ahead of the collecting device. In this manner, a

Hence, the position of ap-.

7 Claims. (01. 2871.5)

greater tension is exerted upon the yarn whenever the supply thereof tends to lag behind the collecting device in taking it up and conversely, the device reduces the tension whenever the supply of the yarn tends to get ahead of the collecting device.

In the drawing, which is illustrative of the invention In Figure 1 is an elevation of the collecting'system utilizing the present invention,

Figure z is a plan view of the collecting system, and

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to the plan view in Figure 2 of a modified form of tensiondevice.

As shown in the drawing, the yarn or other strand S which is continuously deposited in zigzag configuration upon the conveying belt 3 is carried thereby in the direction of the arrow, the belt being driven such as by means of a roll 4. The strand is picked up from the belt and passes through the tension device 5 to a guide means 6, which may take the form of a pulley or stationary rod, over another guide 1, and then to the collecting device 8 which may be preceded by a balloon control guide 9. The collecting device is illustratively shown as a twister of the ring and traveler type but other twisters and/or winders may be employed. The collecting device may pro duce a wound package of any conventional form such as those having a cylindrical, conical or spherical shape, with or without special tapered ends thereon.

The form of tension device 5 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a plurality of rods Ill alternating with a plurality of rods H which constitute the tensioning elements about which the yarn passes from the belt 3 to the guide 6. The effective yarn-contacting portions of these elements are set at an acute angle to one another, as shown clearly in Figure 2, and preferably the elements Ill alternate with elements I I, as shown in Figure 1. Suitable supports I2 may be provided to hold the elements in fixed relationship. Such supports may be adjustably mounted, as in a fixed yoke 53 by means of screws 54 extending through slots I 5 in the top and bottom strips of the yoke, to provide for varying the angle of skew or the lateral separation (or both) of the two systems of ele-' The system can be opened to facilitate with paths taken by the yarn therethrough extend in a direction generally transverse to that of the movement of the strand supply and such paths are offset from one another in the direction of movement of the strand supply. Preferably, the axis of symmetry of the tension device or the plane bisecting the acute angle between the elements I!) and I l is approximately in alignment with the direction of travel of the yarn supply.

In operation, the strand may fluctuate between extreme positions such as those illustratively shown by the dotted lines A and B. In normal operation, the strand would occupy the position adjacent that shown by the solid line C and fluctuation may ordinarily occur in a narrow range thereabout. In the position C, the strand passing upwardly from the belt 3, as viewed in Figure 1, passes alternately back of elements I!) and in front of elements ll. It will be observed that as the yarn tends to occupy a position closer to the dotted line A, it will make a greater angle of contact about each of the elements Ill and H which will automatically increase tension and the increase in tension, of course, is proportionate to the displacement toward the dotted line A. Such increase in tension decreases the speed of collection by the twister 8 and thereby allows the belt 3 to catch up. On the other hand, if the belt 3 tends to overtake the winding machine, the strand takes a position through the tension device which more nearly approaches the dotted line B and it will be observed that the total angle of contact that the yarn makes about the elements of the tension device is reduced in proportion to the displacement from line C toward line B. This automatically reduces the tension and allows the winding device to catch up with the supply.

While the elements Ii] and H of Figures 1 and 2 are shown of straight form, it is not necessary that they be straight throughout and Figure 3 shows a preferred modification in which the elements have a gradual curve which as shown for the elements Illa are convex facing toward the convex curve of elements Ha. In addition, the ends of the elements which are closest to gether overlap as viewed in Figure 3 but do not completely cross to provide an open space therebetween as in Figure 2 so that the reduction in tension of the strand passing through positions which are progressively closer to the free ends of the elements follows a much lower rate than is the case of the device in Figures 1 and 2 where the elements actually cross each other.

It is to be understood that the supply means for the traveling strand may take any suitable form whatsoever including the belt shown in Figure 1 as a mere illustrative embodiment. The yarn supply may take other forms than the zigzag form shown in Figure 2. For example, it may be in the form of overlapped coils disposed on a wire screen or belt which is continuously moving as in Figures 1 and 2.

In the specification and claims, the term "strand is intended as a generic expression to include all sorts of flexible strips of indefinite length, such as yarns, filaments, threads, cords, wires, or the like, regardless of whether the strand is of a textile material or of non-textile material such as metal or plastic wires.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of controlling the collecting O a strand fed by a continuously moving strand supply comp-rising withdrawing the strand from the supply, passing the withdrawn strand through a sinuous path over a plurality of tensioning surfaces in a direction generally transverse tothat of the movement of the strand supply and varying the total angle Of contact the yarn makes with said surfaces in response to variations in the position of withdrawal of the strand from the supply.

2. In combination, means for collecting a strand, means for guiding a strand thereto, continuously moving strand supply means, and a tension device between the strand supply and guide means comprising a plurality of strandengaging elements, at least some of which are inclined at an acute angle to others, the plane bisecting the acute angle being in approximate alignment with the direction of movement of the strand supply.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which the strand supply is a belt.

4. The combination of claim 2 in which the tension device comprises two sets of strand-engaging elements, each set lying in a surface inclined at an acute angle to the surface containing the other set, the elements of one set alternating with those of the other set.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which the surfaces are fiat and intersect so that elements of one set cross elements of the other set.

6. A tension device comprising two sets of a plurality of strand-engaging elements, each of said sets being disposed in a surface inclined at an acute angle to the surface containing the other set, elements in one set alternating with elements of the other set, the surfaces being curved and approximately tangent so that free end portions of the elements of one set overlap corresponding free end portions of the elements of the other set.

7. In combination, means for collecting a strand, means for guiding a strand thereto, continuously moving strand supply means, and a tension device between the strand supply and guide means comprising two sets of strand-engaging elements, the elements of one set alternating with those of the other set, each set lying in a curved surface inclined at an acute angle to the curved surface containing the other set, the surfaces being approximately tangent so that portions of the elements of one set overlap portions of the elements of the other set, the plane bisecting the acute angle being in approximate alignment with the direction of movement of the strand supply.

JOHN J. FRANmIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,297,495 Rhoades Mar. 18, 1919 2,333,278 Truesdail Nov. 2, 1943 2,333,279 Truesdail Nov. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 302,086 Germany Dec. 1, 1917 660,174 Germany Dec. 1, 1936 

